Santa Clara University

Iraq war will not end the threat of terrorism

San Jose Mercury News, Opinion, March 12, 2003

On April 11, 1963, Pope John XXIII gave the world a vision of peace on earth. Nearly 40 years later we have made significant progress in fulfilling that noble vision: the emergence of human and civil rights for women, people of color, and minorities, the increase of democracy around the world, and greater possibility for the poor to overcome grinding poverty through global economic development.

Nonetheless, the world is poised on the brink of war-- with Iraq. This ominous cloud casts a dark shadow over Pope John's vision and over the whole world. Why have we come to the brink of war? At its root is the festering hatred that led to the brutal, homicidal attack of September 11, 2001. Without the threat of terrorism and the random attacks that keep occurring, no American would tolerate a pre-emptive strike on Iraq and Saddam Hussein.

Pope John challenged all peoples to establish universal peace on four pillars: truth, justice, love, and freedom. The first casualty in war is always truth, and I fear that truth has already been injured in the rush to war. For Pope John, truth is the foundation for peace because without facing the truth and speaking the truth, there can be no trust. Yes, Saddam has not spoken the truth about his weapons of destruction. But has the world heard the full truth about why war is the only means of removing Saddam?

Our nation should openly acknowledge that we have not always been fair in our actions or in our policies. We have not always respected people of other cultures, forms of government, and religions.

Democracy demands the logic of truth and an internal ethic that will not compromise freedom, respect for human dignity or the common good, even when faced with a brutal tyrant like Saddam Hussein. Because the lives of people are the treasure of democracy, it always resists the recourse to deadly force. Democracy has to exhaust every path that might lead to peaceful resolution. War is the last resort, and only to protect innocent people who have been attacked or when an attack is imminent.

Justice demands that we must never impose our culture and way of life on other people. Just as we demand respect from other nations, we have to respect their right to self-determination.

Respect for differences and for the dignity of each person is the only path that can lead to true harmony among nations and people. This requires that we be unrelenting in forging harmony and trust among diverse people, and that we take the first steps towards reconciliation, not war, with our enemies.

Even on the eve of war, the American public is not convinced that war on Iraq is necessary to defeat the forces of terrorism. If we go down the road to war, it will not end the threat of Al-Qaida or address the causes of fundamentalist Islamic rage. This recourse to pre-emptive violence will not prevent violence. It could have the opposite result: We could begin a death spiral that will pit nation against nation, religion against religion, culture against culture.

I hope that it is not too late for the truth of justice and the truth of love. I hope that there is still time to work for that vision of peace that Pope John glimpsed 40 years ago.

-- Paul Locatelli, S.J.

(reprinted with permission of the San Jose Mercury News)